MATERIAL CULTURE IN CONTEXT:
ASIAN COSTUMES AND TEXTILES
This exhibit features approximately one hundred costumes and textiles from the
College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources’ Historic Costume Collection, the
largest Asian costume collection in an American university. Only a handful of the 100
items are shown here. The complete list is available at the end of this page.
CHINA
3” Golden Lotus Shoe
Footbinding: The practice of
footbinding in China lasted approximately one thousand years. Although it began as an upper-class fashion,
footbinding became quite common for most women before it was outlawed in the 20 th Century. Considered
beautiful, women with bound feet were able to marry men from higher classes, a practice called hypergamy.
Four toes were bound under the foot, which led to an enlarged ankle and required support. An adult woman’s
foot was ideally three inches in length; the rose and green embroidered Golden Lily Slipper shown here was
the 3” ideal.
AFGHANISTAN
Afghani Man’s Ensemble: tombons, shalwar, blue velvet vest with gold
embroidery and beaded hat. This man’s shirt and trousers (tombons & shalwar) are made of white handwoven cotton. The shirt is embroidered in white on white.
MALAYSIA
Kebaya-Panjang, Malayan woman’s two piece outfit, kebaya
panjang and sarong. The long, fitted, flared kebaya panjang was adopted from Portuguese women who came
to Malacca in the 16th century. The sarong is formed into a wrapped and stitched skirt. The fabric is green
Kelanatan silk (songket) with silver thread woven design.
INDONESIAN COSTUME and TEXTILES
Barkcloth Upper Body Cover. Celebes, Indonesia.
Worn by Toraja women. Fibers from the mulberry plant have been pounded into a flat fabric called Fuya,
which is a shaped upper body garment called lemba. The U shaped neckline is ornamented with a dark
brown hand-woven fabric attached with a running stitch. Magenta and blue triangles, stripes, crosses and
lines outline the hem, sleeve and neckline area.
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